Hail Mannix Has Game Winning TD Catch as Time Expires
CORTLAND, N.Y.— Junior
Jon Mannix (East Northport/John H. Glenn) caught a 29-yard "Hail Mary" touchdown pass from junior
Steven Ferreira (West Sayville/Sayville) on the game's final play to lift Cortland past visiting Heidelberg University, 26-24, in the non-league, season-opening game for both teams.
Cortland called its final timeout with three seconds remaining and trailing 24-20 after Ferreira was sacked by Chris Jones. Ferreira then lofted a pass toward the right side of the end zone and Mannix outjumped a defender, made the catch and got a foot down to set off a celebration from the Cortland bench.
Mannix's catch capped a wild final two minutes that featured two turnovers and two touchdowns. Down 20-17 with 5:36 left, Heidelberg drove from its own 24-yard line to the Cortland 18-yard line. On 2nd-and-11, Joe Sandwisch completed a pass to Dre Valliant to the 2-yard line, but
Carson Lassiter (Madison, NJ) forced a fumble that
Troy Beddoe (Endicott/Union-Endicott) recovered in the end zone with 1:58 left.
Two plays later, however, Joey Wooley stripped the ball from Ferreira on a sack and Ethan Rodgers recovered for the Student Princes on the 19-yard line. Heidelberg eventually faced 4th-and-1 at the 10-yard line and sent out its field goal unit for a potential game-tying field goal, but Cortland jumped offside to keep the drive alive. Sandwisch carried four yards to the 1-yard line and Bryan Lacey ran in for a touchdown with 1:02 left to give the guests the lead.
Cortland started its winning drive from its own 30-yard line with 56 seconds and two timeouts remaining. A Ferreira 13-yard run and a 23-yard completion to
Nick Wagner (Elwood/John H. Glenn), both on second-down plays, were the prominent plays that eventually set up the final TD pass.